The Los Angeles Lakers (16-64) will have a tough time bringing their 12-game road losing streak to a halt when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (54-26), who have won five in a row at home. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Apr. 11 and can be seen on TWC and FxK.
The Thunder are expecting a better outcome after their 114-112 loss to the Kings on Saturday. Kevin Durant was the game’s leading scorer with 31 points. The Lakers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their awful 130-110 loss against the Rockets on Sunday. Kobe Bryant led the team in scoring with 35 points.
Enes Kanter has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Thunder. During that stretch, he has averaged 17.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 0.6 steals.
The Thunder could have their way today, as their productive offense faces off against one of the league’s worst defenses. They currently rank second in the NBA in offensive efficiency while Los Angeles ranks 30th in defensive efficiency.
The Thunder have emerged victorious in all three games against the Lakers this year, including a 117-113 win the last time these two teams met. Lou Williams was the top overall scorer in the game with 44 points.
The Thunder have gone 54-26 Straight Up (SU) and 34-43-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. The Thunder have no trouble scoring as they rank second in the league in offense with 110.3 points per game. The rebounding edge goes to the Thunder in this matchup, who average a league-best 48.4 rebounds per game. Oklahoma City’s defense can be considered one of the best in the league. The Thunder allow a .440 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the league.
Over on the other bench, the Lakers have a record of 36-44 ATS and 16-64 SU. Against the Western Conference, Los Angeles is 16-64 SU and 36-44 ATS. Offensively, the Lakers have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 97.5 points per game by averaging 111.6 during that stretch.
In their previous meeting this season, Oklahoma City beat Los Angeles, bumping its SU record to 9-1 over the Lakers in their last 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Thunder hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC
Notes
“Oklahoma City is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Oklahoma City is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games “.
“Oklahoma City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City’s last 5 games “.
“Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“Oklahoma City is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing LA Lakers”.
“Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing LA Lakers”.
“The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oklahoma City’s last 11 games when playing LA Lakers”.
“Oklahoma City is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers”.
“Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers”.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oklahoma City’s last 7 games when playing at home against LA Lakers”.
The Oklahoma City Thunder score 110.3 points per game (ranked second), while the Los Angeles Lakers give up a whopping 107.0 (ranked 27th).
Oklahoma City averages 109.5 points per home game, placing the team second-best in the NBA. Los Angeles, on the other hand, gives up 110.8 points per away game (ranked 30th).
In its last game, Los Angeles lost by a 20-point margin. Oklahoma City is 19-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Los Angeles has a 2-20 record in blowouts.
Los Angeles has an even 9-9 record in contests where it allows fewer than 100 points. The Thunder do not perform well when scoring under 100 points, earning a 3-12 record on the season.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Lakers are just 7-55 this season. Oklahoma City is an outstanding 51-14 when registering triple digits.
The Lakers have an offensive rating of 99.5 (ranked 29th), while the Thunder rank 12th for their defensive rating of 103.9.
Oklahoma City has an average field goal percentage of 47.8% (ranked third). Los Angeles is an underachieving 3-41 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
In comparison to the rest of the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder see similar results in both field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage, ranking third for both metrics. The Los Angeles Lakers also rank the same for both FG% and EFF%, coming in at 30th.
On average, the Oklahoma City Thunder make 23.0 assists per game and the Los Angeles Lakers make 18.1. Oklahoma City is ranked 10th, while Los Angeles is ranked 30th.
Oklahoma City makes an average of 5.9 blocks per game (ranked sixth), while Los Angeles makes 4.2 blocks per game (ranked 24th).
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the top offensive rebounding team in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers rank 24th in defensive rebounding.
The Los Angeles Lakers make an average of 7.2 steals per game. When the Oklahoma City Thunder allow 7 or more steals, they are a solid 40-21.
